Seaway maintains tolls for 2011

Shipping tolls on the St. Lawrence Seaway will remain fixed this year as business continues to rebound from a challenging navigation season in 2009.

PHOTO CREDIT - Boatnerd.com

Cornwall - Jan. 22, 2011 - The St. Lawrence Seaway is extending its toll freeze through 2011 in hopes of maintaining the waterway's positive business development initiatives.

The Seaway saw a 15.46 per cent increase in tonnage during the 2010 navigation season, which symbolizes a healthy rebound in activity following a difficult season in 2009.

"Given the recuperation of the economy, an extra year with no toll increase will assist our stakeholders in their efforts to develop new business and will serve to reinforce the Great Lakes â€" St. Lawrence Seaway System's position as the gateway to North America's heartland," said Bruce Hodgson, director of market development for the St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation (SLSMC), which operates the Canadian portion of the waterway.

Recently-appointed SLSMC President and CEO Terence Bowles voiced his support for the toll freeze.

"We are striving to reduce the cost and complexity of the system and attract new cargo," said Bowles. "The extension of the toll freeze, coupled with various incentive programs, represents tangible steps toward meeting these objectives."

Since its inception in 1959, more than 2.5 billion tonnes of cargo valued at over $375 billion have moved via the Seaway. Today, marine transportation within the Seaway continues to support the well-being of millions of people on both sides of the Canada/US. The SLSMC is headquartered in downtown Cornwall.